The present invention relates to a replaceable-type ink-jet ink tank cartridge connected to an ink-jet head and storing the ink to be discharged from the ink-jet head, a method for manufacturing said tank, and a package container for the ink tank cartridge.
Also, the present invention relates to an ink-jet ink tank cartridge having a specific internal structure, and a manufacturing method thereof, as well as an ink-jet head using the ink tank cartridge, and a printer (recording apparatus). The present invention is applicable to recording apparatuses, communication equipments, business machines, composite apparatuses, and printers such as e.g., a copying machine or a facsimile apparatus, using an ink-jet technology.
In recent years, ink-jet recording apparatuses have been utilized for a great variety of applications, and there are uses for the output of high duty image of large size and graphics or photo grade, with increasing demands.
On one hand, there is rapidly increasing utilization for smaller or personalized output apparatuses, while having greater output frequency (use frequency), resulting in more and more increasing print volumes in those applications.
In any way, in the ink-jet print field, there is a tendency toward the larger size, higher duty, and higher use frequency, and due to increased ink consumption, there is increasing demand for the greater capacity of ink tank for the purposes of reducing the frequency of replacing the ink tank cartridge for use in the recording apparatus, and avoiding the damage of head filter. In particular, there is a demand to take not only a simple measure of increasing the size of ink tank cartridge, but also to create a larger capacity of ink tank for the recording apparatus for which the smaller and personalized constitution has been achieved, with the compatibility maintained, for which it has been contemplated that the size of tank cartridge is increased and the shape of tank is altered.
Herein, one form of the ink tank cartridge to increase the ink amount has been proposed in which a first storage chamber for containing the ink, and a second storage chamber for containing the ink, are formed, with a negative pressure generating member such as a sponge provided within the first storage chamber.
The first storage chamber having a negative pressure generating member is provided with an atmosphere communicating opening for communication with the atmosphere, in which an area around the atmosphere communicating opening within this first storage chamber is one where the negative pressure generating member does not hold the ink. Also, this first storage chamber is provided with an ink supply port for supplying the ink held within the negative pressure generating member to an ink-jet head of an ink-jet printing apparatus. The second storage chamber is in communication with the first storage chamber only via a fine communication channel provided at a position apart from the atmosphere communicating opening of the first storage chamber, and stores the ink in a substantially enclosed state. And when using an ink cartridge, the exchange of gas and liquid is made via the fine communication channel between the first and second storage chambers, so that the ink is refilled from the second storage chamber via the fine communication channel into the first storage chamber.
By the way, in the ink-jet printing apparatus, when a plurality of ink-jet heads are mounted on a carriage to reduce the number of line buffer memories, the distance between ink-jet heads is set to be smaller in a scan direction of the carriage in most cases, whereby there are necessarily limitations on the width of ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage. Hence, the ink capacity is increased in the height and depth directions of the ink cartridge. Also, to make the foot space of the ink-jet printing apparatus smaller, it is desirable that the ink capacity can be increased only by increasing the height of ink cartridge.
However, in an ink cartridge of the structure of holding the ink soaked within the negative pressure generating member, the water head applied on the ink-jet head is prone to rise in accordance to an increase in height, when the height of ink cartridge is increased, and to prevent this, if the density of negative pressure generating member is raised one-sidedly, the remaining ink amount not used within the ink cartridge increases, making it difficult to expect the effective increase of ink amount corresponding to the increased capacity.
Also, in making such ink tank cartridge of greater capacity, the following affairs may be apprehended.
(1) The air within the second storage chamber will expand due to changes in temperature or pressure when the ink within an ink cartridge is used partially, forcing the ink within the second storage chamber to be flowed into the first storage chamber. Then, it is impossible to expect that the negative pressure is generated by the negative pressure generating member within the first storage chamber, resulting in a positive pressure state. As a result, an adverse effect may be exerted on the formation of meniscus around the ink discharge orifices during the printing or recording or after a suction recovery operation. Herein, by the suction recovery operation is meant an operation of sucking and removing the thickened ink from the ink discharge orifices of ink-jet head.
(2) If the ink capacity is increased, the ink may swell out from the negative pressure generating member of the first storage chamber, mainly due to temperature change (particularly expanded ink volume at low temperatures) during the physical distribution of ink cartridges. Depending on the attitude of ink cartridge in the physical distribution, the ink may not return to the negative pressure generating member, when the temperature rises, accumulating around the atmosphere communicating opening, in which case the ink is more likely to leak and drip when the ink cartridge is unsealed. Also, it is apprehended that when the ink in the positive pressure state is supplied to the ink-jet head, an adverse effect may be exerted on the print performance such as recording.
(3) Even with a slight phenomenon of the above (2), in place of the ink forced from the second storage chamber into the first storage chamber, the air will be moved from the first storage chamber through the fine communication channel into the second storage chamber, by a corresponding amount of ink, whereby when the ink cartridge is unsealed after a rapid increase in temperature or a decrease in pressure, the ink forced from the second storage chamber into the first storage chamber due to expanded air can not be accepted by the negative pressure generating member, with a risk that the ink may exude outside via the atmosphere communicating opening. Also, when unsealing an ink supply port, a portion around the ink supply port within the first storage chamber is in positive pressure state, with a risk that the ink may also leak out of the ink supply port.
Also, if the ink tank cartridge is constructed in larger size (scale up), the negative pressure generating member is also increased in size, resulting in a greater distance from the ink storage chamber to the ink supply port. That is, the larger ink tank will have a greater distance from the communication channel to the supply port, and further be subjected to the influence from the uneven density accompanied by the larger size of the negative pressure generating member accommodated within the negative pressure generating member receiving portion, with a risk that the ink level is not stable, leading to an ink supply failure in worst cases.
Also, an non-ink region within the negative pressure generating member not containing the ink is intended to prevent the ink from leaking through the atmosphere communicating opening, when starting to use the ink tank, but this non-ink region occupies a large area with increasing size of the cartridge, thereby with a risk that the same problem of ink supply failure as above may occur. Namely, in this way, if the ink cartridge is subject to the influence of changes in environment due to storage or physical distribution in the state where the non-ink region is large, the ink is moved to the non-ink region within the negative pressure generating member, resulting in a likelihood that an ink absent portion may arise in a range from the communication channel to the supply port.
On the contrary, it is considered to shorten the distance from the communication channel to the supply port, in which case the initial ink level within the negative pressure generating member is too high compared with the total volume of negative pressure generating member, and to retain this initial ink level, it is necessary to significantly raise the capillary force of negative pressure generating member, with the result that the negative pressure on the recording head is too great, inappropriately for the fast recording. Also, the large amount of ink may remain.
The ink-jet ink cartridge having larger size and more complicated shape as above described must satisfy the ink-jet performance at the same time. That is, the ink-jet ink cartridge is required to have the sealing ability without ink leakage which is assured for use in the high/low temperature environment or the long-term storage, and various external factors including a mechanical strength against thermal shock caused by repeated high/low temperatures, vibration, or drop, as well as quite severe characteristics of stably storing the ink and without damaging the ink supply capability in use for recording or the negative pressure exerted on the recording head, as previously described.
For such requirements, a method of forming an ink container is known in which two members, a container having integrally molded a partition plate for partitioning the negative pressure generating member receiving portion and the ink containing portion, and a lid, are integrated by fusing a joint by heat or ultrasonic.
However, a heat welding method could not be applied to the ink cartridge of such a complex shape that the joint extends into the tank, because the joint must be exposed to the outside for welding.
Accordingly, the container of integral mold was molded in the configuration having the partition plate and the wall within the container connected. Also, a ultrasonic welding method in which ultrasonic is applied to the joint to weld by heat generated by thermal conversion of acoustic wave due to energy loss at the joint is difficult to make a perfect contact state over the entire area of welding portion due to the dimensions of parts if the size is increased, because the contact state at the joint has a dimensionally severe factor.
On the other hand, in the conventional ink tank as previously described, one package in which a seal member of the atmosphere communicating opening and the ink supply port of the ink tank is adhered to a pillow bag in packaged form was proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-328712. In this packaged form, the ink, if splashing due to a peeling force from the seal member peeled off in unsealing the package, is received into the bag, while the package is unsealed in the order from the atmosphere communication opening, without the user considering the unsealing order of the atmosphere communicating opening and the ink supply port.
In the conventional form, when the ink capacity of ink tank is relatively small, the internal pressure of ink tank may rise, owing to changes in environment (pressure, temperature) surrounding the ink tank at the time of manufacturing or unsealing. Then, if the ink tank is unsealed, the ink may be forced out of the ink tank. This ink amount will vary with the total capacity of ink for the ink tank. It increases with larger capacity of ink tank. Since the ink tank is desired to have larger capacity, the amount of splashing ink may be serious in the conventional packaged form, if the larger capacity is provided, so that there are some cases that the ink can not be held within the pillow bag.
Also, with the larger amount, the ink may enter, due to capillary phenomenon, into an interstice between the ink tank and the pillow bag, resulting in greater probability that the ink reaches the hands of the user who holds by hand the ink tank.
Further, in the form of pillow bag, the user may neglect the way of unsealing, break the bag open and peel off a scal member for sealing the atmosphere communicating opening and the ink supply port of ink tank.
In this case, in peeling off the seal member, the ink may splash from the seal member upon an impact of peeling in some instances.
The present invention has been achieved in the light of the aforementioned problems, and its object is to provide an ink cartridge and a method of determining the volume of said ink cartridge, in which ink leakage through an atmosphere communication opening caused by changes in environment is prevented even when the volume of an ink containing chamber is increased.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an ink cartridge which can realize the larger size and greater capacity of the ink cartridge, without degrading the performance or reliability as the ink cartridge.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an ink cartridge which can realize the larger size and more complex shape of the ink cartridge with the minimum number of components by a quite simple manufacturing method, while satisfying the required performance for the large ink-jet ink cartridge, and the manufacturing method thereof.
It is another object of the invention to provide an ink cartridge and an ink-jet cartridge, which is capable of maintaining the stable print performance at any time by stably supplying the ink, without being affected by the ink exuding from a negative pressure generating member, while preventing the ink from leaking in unsealing an ink containing portion.
A preferred constitution of the present invention includes at least one of the following constitutions, or any combination thereof.
First of all, a method of weakening the vibration vector in a wall collapsing direction by providing the wall at an angle toward a direction of applying the transverse vibration and opposite a direction of causing collapse of the tank wall in the state where the tank wall is thinned is taken.
Secondly, a method of having at least two sorts of vibration directions to prevent the collapse of wall resulting from transverse vibration is taken.
Thirdly, reinforcing means is provided against transverse vibration on the collapsing side of wall.
Fourthly, clamp means for clamping the wall to a jig for fixing a container is provided.
Fifthly, securing means for securing the wall by inserting a wall collapse preventing jig through an opening portion such as an ink inlet port into the tank or a supply port for supplying the ink to the head is provided.
Sixthly, a method is taken in which the negative pressure generating member is made of the same material as the container or lid of the tank, or a material having the same melting point, or a higher melting point than that of the latter, allowing melting and welding completely, even if the negative pressure generating member is pinched into a joint between the container and the lid, thereby preventing leakage.
Seventhly, a method of determining the vibration direction when stopped so that the negative pressure generating member and the tank wall face are brought into close or pressure contact with each other in a preferred state, when the transverse vibration is stopped.
Eighthly, the negative pressure generating member is secured to a member on the side where it vibrates, subject to transverse vibration, to further enhance the effect of the seventh method, while at least two or more securing means are provided to prevent the compression distribution of the negative pressure generating member from being disordered, even if the negative pressure generating member is subject to rotational force.
Ninthly, vibration suppressing means is provided on members at both sides of applying the vibration and accepting the vibration to prevent the member which vibrates subject to transverse vibration from yielding the amplitude, more than necessary.
Tenthly, a vibration jig of the device generating transverse vibration and a member accepting vibration from this vibration jig and vibrating along with it are provided with slip preventing means for preventing slip vibration transmission rate from being degraded.
Eleventhly, a plurality of welding parts which are completely independent and closed are provided, the welding parts being complicated such that an area inside the tank is divided into a plurality of sections, allowing the sealing ability at the welding portion to be examined, while preventing unnecessary movement of ink between each area.
Twelfthly, suppressing means for suppressing burrs produced at the welding part is provided, while a leakage preventing member can be flowed into that welding part. Also, ink infiltration preventing means for preventing ink from infiltrating into burrs outside the welding part is provided.
Thirteenthly, the formation of an opening portion of tank by welding multiple members together can be stably made.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet ink cartridge having an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head, and a lid portion for covering said ink containing portion, wherein a wall of said ink containing portion and one face of said lid portion are welded together by frictional heat caused by vibration.
Also, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet ink cartridge in communication with said ink containing portion via a communication channel, and further comprising a negative pressure generating member receiving portion for receiving an negative pressure generating member for absorbing and holding the ink,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the angle xcex8 made by the longitudinal direction of the wall of said ink containing portion main body to the vibration direction is less than 90xc2x0,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the angle xcex8 made by the longitudinal direction of each wall of said ink containing portion and said negative pressure generating member receiving portion to the vibration direction is less than 90xc2x0,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said angle xcex8 is less than or equal to 45xc2x0,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said vibration direction is multidirectional,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said wall is provided with means for preventing collapse of said wall against said vibration,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the angle xcex8 made by the longitudinal direction of said wall to said vibration direction is less than or equal to 90xc2x0, and said wall is provided with wall collapse preventing means for preventing collapse of said wall against said vibration,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said wall collapse preventing means is means for fixing to a fixed jig provided on the wall outside said ink containing portion or said negative pressure generating member receiving portion,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said wall collapse preventing means relies on a jig inserted through an opening portion of said ink containing portion,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein at least the wall of said ink containing portion with frictional heat produced by said vibration among said ink containing portion and one face of said lid are made of the same material,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the melting point of a material forming at least the wall of said ink containing portion with frictional heat produced by said vibration among said ink containing portion and that of a material forming one face of said lid are equal,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the melting point of the material forming at least the wall of said ink containing portion with frictional heat produced by said vibration among said ink containing portion and that of the material forming one face of said lid are higher than that of a material forming the other section of said ink containing portion,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said ink containing portion has means for suppressing the amplitude of said vibration,
an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said amplitude suppressing means comprises engagement means provided on said ink containing portion, and engaged means provided on said lid and being engaged by said engagement means,
an ink-jet ink cartridge further comprising means for screening outer welding burrs produced due to said vibration in welding,
an ink-jet ink cartridge having at least one member for securing said negative pressure generating member to said negative pressure generating member receiving portion,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge having an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head and composed of an ink containing portion main body and a lid, wherein after said ink containing portion main body and said lid are superposed on one another, the ink containing portion main body and the lid are welded together with frictional heat produced at a contact region by applying vibration to said ink containing portion main body and said lid,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge using a vibration jig which applies vibration to said ink containing portion main body and said lid, and means for preventing occurrence of slip between said ink containing portion main body and said lid,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said slip preventing means utilizes vacuum adsorption,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein a sealant or an adhesive is infiltrated into outer welding burrs produced due to said vibration in welding,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge comprising an ink containing portion for containing the ink to be supplied to an ink-jet head, a negative pressure generating member receiving portion in communication with said ink containing portion via a communication channel and receiving a negative pressure generating member for absorbing and holding the ink, and a lid for covering said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said ink receiving portion, characterized in that after said ink containing portion and said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said lid are superposed on one another, said ink containing portion and said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said lid are welded together with frictional head produced at a contact region by applying vibration to said ink containing portion and said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said lid,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein said vibration is stopped in a vibration direction of enclosing said communication channel with said negative pressure generating member with said negative pressure generating member placed into close contact with a wall of said ink containing portion,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein a welding line formed by said vibration has no branch,
a manufacturing method of an ink-jet ink cartridge wherein the welding line formed by said vibration is formed independently between said ink containing portion and said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, or
a head cartridge comprising the above-mentioned ink cartridge, and an ink-jet head for recording by being supplied with the ink from said cartridge.
With the above constitution and method, the welding of a lid for the side wall corresponding to large and complicated shape which was conventionally not achievable with the type of welding the lower lid limited to small and simple shape can be made.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge comprising a negative pressure generating member receiving portion for receiving a negative pressure generating member, and an ink containing portion, provided separately from said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, for directly storing the ink, wherein the gas introducible via an atmosphere communication opening provided on the side of said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, and the ink of said ink containing portion, are exchanged by gas-liquid exchanging means, to conduct said ink to the negative pressure generating member receiving portion, and supply the ink from said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, characterized by further comprising a space formed between said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said atmosphere communicating opening, composed of a subspace containing a member in direct contact with said negative pressure generating member, and other subspace.
Also, it is another object of the present invention to provide an ink tank cartridge wherein said space of said ink cartridge has a volume determined by at least the following expression:
(Volume of space)=(Total volume of ink storable within said ink containing portion)xc3x97(Value determined based on the variation in external pressure relative to pressure within said ink containing portion of said ink cartridge)xe2x88x92(Volume of said negative pressure generating member)xc3x97(Value determined based on the ink absorptivity of said negative pressure generating member).
Also, it is another object of the present invention to provide a method for determining the volume of an ink cartridge comprising a negative pressure generating member receiving portion for receiving a negative pressure generating member, and an ink containing portion, provided separately from said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, for directly storing the ink, wherein the gas introducible via an atmosphere communication opening provided on the side of said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, and the ink of said ink containing portion, are exchanged by gas-liquid exchanging means, to conduct said ink to the negative pressure generating member receiving portion, and supply the ink from said negative pressure generating member receiving portion, characterized in that the volume of a space between said negative pressure generating member receiving portion and said atmosphere communication opening is determined according to the following expression:
(Volume of space)=(Total volume of ink storable within said ink containing portion)xc3x97(Value determined based on the variation in external pressure relative to pressure within said ink containing portion of said ink cartridge)xe2x88x92(Volume of said negative pressure generating member)xc3x97(Value determined based on the ink absorptivity of said negative pressure generating member).
With the above constitution, a space having a predetermined volume or greater is formed between said negative pressure generating member and said atmosphere communication opening, wherein since the volume of this space is determined in view of the relative external pressure change of the ink cartridge, the ink can be prevented from leaking through said atmosphere communication opening, even if the ink exudes from the negative pressure generating member due to this change.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink tank package container comprising a first receiver for receiving an ink tank having an atmosphere communication opening and an ink supply port which are sealed by a seal member, and a second receiver for receiving said first receiver, wherein a part of said seal member is exposed through an opening portion of said second receiver, and said atmosphere communication opening and said ink supply port are unsealed by pulling out said exposed part of seal member.
Also, it is another object of the invention to provide,
an ink tank package container wherein said first receiver is an inner box, and said second receiver is an outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein said seal member for sealing said atmosphere communication opening and said seal member for sealing said ink supply port are integral, and wherein a part of said seal member integral is exposed from an opening portion of said outer box, said ink supply port being unsealed, following said atmosphere communication opening, by pulling out a part of said exposed seal member,
an ink tank package container wherein a part of said seal member is bonded to an outer face near the opening portion of said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein a part of said seal member is bonded to an outer face near the opening portion of said outer box, the other end of said seal member being exposed from said opening portion of said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein said inner box is slidably received within said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein within said inner box, an ink absorbing member is disposed at a position corresponding to said atmosphere communication opening of said ink tank received within said inner box,
an ink tank package container wherein within said inner box, an ink absorbing member is disposed at a position corresponding to said ink supply port of said ink tank received within said inner box,
an ink tank package container wherein within said inner box, ink absorbing members are disposed at respective positions corresponding to said atmosphere communication opening and said ink supply port of said ink tank received within said inner box,
an ink tank package container wherein an ink absorbing member is disposed on a bottom portion within said inner box,
an ink tank package container receiving said ink tank where said ink absorbing member has a dot- or mesh-like face, and is in contact with said in tank via said face,
an ink tank package container wherein an ink supply port is covered with a member spaced apart in a direction of peeling off the seal member covering said ink supply port of said ink tank,
an ink tank package container wherein the seal member covering said ink supply port of said ink tank can be pulled out with one of its faces contact with the inner wall of said ink tank pressed against a part of said inner box,
an ink tank package container wherein said pullable seal member can be pulled out, while being carried between said inner box and said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein a part of said seal member bonded to said ink tank is bonded to an outer face of said outer box, the other part of said seal member projecting out of said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein a face of said seal member bonded to the outer face of said outer box and a face of said seal member covering said ink supply port of said ink tank are situated on the same side,
an ink tank package container wherein a part of said seal member and a part of said outer box are bonded together, so that said seal member and a sealed portion of said ink supply port may be subject to a force other than in a direction of peeling off said seal member, when said inner box is drawn out of said outer box,
an ink tank package container wherein said seal member is a folded lengthwise member, the both ends thereof projecting out of an opening of said outer box, one end thereof being bonded to the outer face of said outer box, wherein a face on the same side as said bonded face covers said ink supply port,
an ink tank package container wherein a thrust direction of a welding part of said seal member welded to said ink supply port and a direction of peeling off said seal member from said ink supply port are orthogonal, or
an ink tank package container wherein said outer box is laminated with a resin film.
The present invention uses a member for packaging an ink tank which is a box, said box for accommodating said partial ink tank having ink absorbing members disposed at positions corresponding to an ink supply port and an atmosphere communication opening, and an ink absorbing member laid between said ink tank and said box accommodating said ink tank, whereby even if the ink flows out of said ink tank in unsealing, the ink can be absorbed into said three absorbing members. Thereby, the user is protected from staining the hands in use without the ink flowing outside a packaging material.
In the present invention, a member for packaging an ink tank is in the form of a box. The box is twofold, such that the ink tank can not be taken out, unless the ink supply port and the atmosphere communication opening are unsealed. Specifically, the ink tank is secured to an inner box of the ink tank. The box is slidable to left and right, rather than upward and downward, to enable the inner box to be drawn out. To limit the drawing direction, a lid is provided on an outer box at one side in the drawing direction, wherein the atmosphere communication opening and the ink supply port are sealed with a seal member. The seal member is welded to the ink tank, an unfolded end portion being bonded to a face of the outer box so that the drawing direction of the box may be a direction of pulling the box. Further, the other end of the seal member is pulled out through a hole provided on a face of the outer box where said seal member is bonded. In this package form, a considerable force may be required to draw out the inner box from the outer box, unless unsealed by first pulling the seal of the ink tank, so that the ink tank can not be taken out without peeling off the seal of the ink tank in practice. Also, the order of unsealing is that the atmosphere communication opening is first unsealed, or the user is instructed. Further, the outer box may be laminated not to be easily broken to higher effect, rather than a typical paper box.
In the above, further adopting a packaging form in which when the seal member is peeled off, the ink supply port of the ink tank provides an obstacle in the direction of peeling off the seal member, and a part of the seal member which has been in contact with the inside of the ink tank is pressed against a part of the packaging box, after the seal is peeled off, the ink is prevented from splashing outside the packaging box through the ink supply port of ink tank by being pulled by the seal member, upon unsealing the ink tank. Also, the seal member has an ink adhering portion wiped out by a part of the packaging box (pressed portion), thereby preventing the ink from spoiling the outside.